Ball joint between doll head and body



March 17, H. R. BEEBE BALL JOINT BETWEEN DOLL HEAD AND BODY Filed Dec. 7, 1961 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR.

AQGPBAZPTk A 5 March 17, 1964 H. R. BEEBE BALL JOINT BETWEEN DOLL HEAD AND BODY 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Dec. 7, 1961 INVENTOR.

#[PBERT R. BEEBE BY ATTOEA/' v.5

United States Patent 3,124,901 BALL JGINT BETWEEN DOLL HEAD AND BODY Herbert R. Beebe, Richmond Hill, N.Y., assignor to American Doll & Toy Corp, New York, N.Y., a corporation of New York Filed Dec. 7, 1961, er. No. 157,675 1 Claim. (Cl. 46-161) This invention relates to dolls, toy figures and the like and has particular reference to a joint construction for articulatively connecting the head and the body thereof.

An object of the invention is to provide a joint construction consisting of interfitting parts carried by the head and body respectively of a doll, toy figure and the like for conveniently and expeditiously connecting the aforesaid doll parts by interfitting engagement of the parts of the joint construction.

Another object of the invention is to provide a joint construction consisting of interfitting parts for articulatively connecting the head and body of a compressible resilient doll, toy figure and the like.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a joint construction in which the interfitting parts are of rigid material and are adapted to be disposed in secured relation in the head and body respectively of a compressible resilient doll, toy figure and the like, and the said parts of the joint construction subsequently secured together in interfitting relation for articulatively connecting the head and the body of the doll, toy figure and the like.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a joint construction of said character consisting of interfitting tubular parts adapted for telescopic association and with one of the parts formed with contractible and expansible fingers adapted to expand to normal condition for connecting the said parts in telescopic relation.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, reference is now made to the specification and accompanying drawings in which the preferred embodiment of the invention is illustrated.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a view and elevation of a doll with the head and body articulatively connected in accordance with the invention.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view showing the means connecting the head with the body.

FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken approximately on line 3-3 of FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is a similar view taken approximately on line 44 of FIG. 2.

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view of the head and body shown in separated juxtaposition and with the parts for connecting the same together shown in separated relation.

Referring to the drawings, the invention is illustrated in its application to a joint construction for a doll, however, the same may be employed as a joint construction for any type of toy figure having parts to be articulatively connected together. As illustrated, the doll includes a head it), arms 11, legs 12 and a body 13. The arms and legs 11 and 12 may be connected with the body 13 in any desired manner, while the head 10, in accordance with the invention, is connected With the body 13 by interfitting tubular members 14 and 15. The tubular members 14 and 15 are of hard inflexible material and the same are primarily adapted for use in connection with dolls of flexible resilient material such as thermoplastic material and the like which permit of the distortion of the head and body for receiving the interfitting elements 14 and 15 respectively with one of the parts disposed in protruding relation for axial movement within the other part for securing the said parts together.

ice

The tubular member 14 includes an upper shell portion 17 of substantially semi-spherical formation and a lower tubular portion 18 of cylindrical formation which depends axially from the lower end of the upper portion 17 and is formed with slots 19 providing a plurality of circumferentially spaced fingers 21) having peripheral enlargements 21 adjacent the free ends thereof respectively. The tubular element 15 also includes an upper shell portion 23 of semi-spherical formation and a lower tubular portion 24 of cylindrical formation depending axially from the lower end thereof and which is provided with an outwardly extending peripheral flange 25 at its lower end.

The head 19 of the doll is of flexible resilient material and is formed with a hollow neck portion 27 of semispherical formation corresponding substantially to that of the upper portion 17 of the tubular member 14. The neck portion 27 is formed with a cylindrical opening 28 in the bottom thereof which is adapted to be expanded to permit of the insertion of the upper portion 17 of the tubular member 14 to dispose the said upper portion in engagement against the insideface of the neck portion and with the tubular portion 18 protruding through the opening 2%. The body 13 of the doll is also of flexible resilient material and has a wall portion 29 of arcuate shaped formation in section extending inwardly from the body casing 3&1 and which forms a semi-spherical cavity in the upper portion of the body in which is snugly received the semi-spherical upper portion 23 of the tubular member 15 and with the tubular portion 2 thereof protruding through the lower end of the wall portion 29 into the body of the doll with the fiange 25 embedded in the filling 32 therein.

The joint construction is primarily adapted for use in connection with dolls, toy figures, and the like in which the body of the doll is stuffed with any desired resilient cellular material such as foam rubber 32. When the parts of the doll are to be assembled the body 13 is filled with the filling material and the tubular member 15 of the joint construction is inserted in the body with the flange 25 embedded in the filling material before the same has set. This retains the upper portion 23 of the tubular member in snug engagement against the inwardly directed wall portion 2? of the body. The head 10 of the doll also being of flexible resilient material, the opening 28 in the neck portion 27 thereof may be readily expanded to dispose the upper portion 17 of the tubular member 14 in engagement with the inside face thereof whereby the neck portion 27 is stiffened. When the tubular member 15 of the joint construction is in fixed relation in the doll body, the head 10 may be connected therewith by telescopically associating the tubular portions 18 and 24 of the tubular members 14 and 15 with the peripheral enlargements 21 of the fingers 20 disposed inwardly of the flange 25. The tubular portions 13 and 24 snugly interfit, the fingers 219 contracting as they pass through the tubular member 24 and then expand into normal formation inwardly of the peripheral flange 25 which flange engages the shoulders 33 of the enlargements 21 to thereby prevent retraction of the tubular member 14 and articulatively connecting the head with the body of the doll. In such connected relation the neck portion 27 of the head is retained between the upper portions 17 and 23 of the tubular members and the said upper portions of the tubular members, the neck portion 27 of the head and the wall portion 29 of the doll are in nested formation with the head of the doll rotatable about the longitudinal axis through the nested parts.

While the preferred form of the invention is shown and described herein, it is to be understood that the invention is not so limited but shall cover and include any and all modifications thereof which fall within the purview of the invention.

What is claimed is:

In a toy figure, a head of resilient material having a holloW neck portion formed integrally with the head and of substantially semi-spherical formation with an axial opening therein, a toy body of resilient material having an inwardly directed wall portion formed integrally with the body and of substantially semi-spherical formation providing a semi-spherical cavity in the upper portion of the body and with an axial opening in the inner end of said wall portion, interfitting first and second hollow parts of rigid material, the first of said inter-fitting hollow parts having a substantially semispherical end portion and a reduced tubular portion connected with said semi-spherical portion, said tubular portion having circurnterentially spaced fingers provided with outwardly projecting enlargements on the ends thereof, the second of said interfitting parts having a substantially semi-spherical end portion and a reduced tubular portion connected therewith and with a peripheral flange at the end of said tubular portion, said first part fittingly engaging within the neck portion of said head with the reduced tubular portion thereof protruding through the opening in the neck portion, the said second of said interfitting parts fittingly engaging within said inwardly directed wall portion of said body with the reduced tubular portion of said second part protruding through the opening in the inner end thereof, said tubular portion of said first part being of a size to slidably interfit with the tubular portion of said second part to dispose said enlargements beyond said peripheral flange to thereby connect said first and second parts together with the semi-spherical neck portion of said first hollow part nested within the semi-spherical neck portion of the head and with the semi-spherical portion of said second hollow part nested within the semi-spherical portion of said toy body and all of said semi-spherical portions being in combined nested relation and the semispherical neck portion of the head protruding from said cavity for articulatively mounting the head on the body.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 488,090 Rudge Dec. 13, 1892 1,273,061 Hopf et a1. July 16, 1918 1,545,489 Gans July 14, 1925 2,336,467 Cohen Dec. 14, 1943 2,663,971 Ippolito Dec. 29, 1953 FOREIGN PATENTS 454,770 Italy Feb. 1, 1950 1,049,752 Germany Jan. 29, 1959 

